Personalised Gifts Blogs and Ideas

Online shoppers looking to make a tidy saving might want to free up their Tuesday night, if a recent study is anything to go by.

According to US retailer reporting service SumAll, who examined 3,000 companies and half a billion transactions as part of its latest report, Tuesday is the best day of the week when it comes to finding a bargain online.

Two days into the working week, researchers found that an average saving of 4.81 per cent per purchase can be made. Thursday was a close second with an average discount of 4.80 per cent, but lazy Sundays at 3.37 per cent are one of the worst for a spree, according to dailymail.co.uk.

Saturday savings also paled in significance when compared with those from Tuesday, with a mere 3.84 per cent discount applied.

Still, these tricks of the trade might all be old news for some. Businessinsider.com reports that Brits are the world’s best bargain hunters, with an average discount of 5.51 per cent applied to their purchases. UK shoppers were closely followed by Americans, who saved 4.28 per cent.

Europeans placed third with 3.34 per cent, while Australians trailed the pack with 1.65 per cent.

Study results also showed that when it comes to shopping for Christmas presents, it’s best to strike early. November is when shoppers will commonly make the largest saving on their personalised gifts or must-have toys, courtesy of a 5.99 per cent saving.

True to form, the January sales period existed to some extent online thanks to a 4.95 per cent saving, followed by May at 4.50 per cent.

Two casinos in the Scottish capital have brought Christmas forward over 100 days before the big event in a bid to drum up trade.

Local.stv.tv reports that the Gala Maybury Casino in Corstorphine and Genting Club Casino at the Fountain Park entertainment park, Edinburgh, are getting into the yuletide spirit 118 days in advance of Christmas Day.

Both premises have installed a number of decorated Christmas trees outside, hoping that it will encourage off-the-cuff visits, future bookings and bring a smile to passers by.

“If people aren’t already booking their Christmas party nights and events then they’re thinking about them, so all we’re doing is looking to remind them that we are available,” said Scott Kincaid, general manager of Gala Maybury Casino.

“All of the hotels in the city are taking Christmas bookings already so I see nothing wrong with it. Besides, I love Christmas, it’s a great time of year.”

However, the casinos aren’t the only ones jumping the gun. Guardian.co.uk last week reported that supermarket chain Asda brought Santa’s Grotto into some of its stores to encourage shoppers to start saving for the festive season.

One can only assume then that it won’t be long until online retailers too lay out their range of personalised Christmas gifts and decorations.

Commenting on his reasons for starting the party early, Dan Renton, sales manager at Genting Casino, Fountain Park, said: “We normally do pretty well at Christmas time but I think we were a bit behind last year and wanted to get in early this time round.”

A third of British grooms now choose more than one best man, according to a survey from Jacamo.

The men’s fashion retailer conducted a survey of 1,000 men and discovered that 32 per cent have bucked tradition by selecting two or three best men to stand by their side on the big day. In fact, younger men were even more likely to split the role between their friends and relatives, with 46 per cent of 20-30-year-olds choosing up to four ‘best men’.

Whether safety in numbers or an inability to decide between a brother and a best friend, the trend appears to be growing, according to dailymail.co.uk. The research revealed that grooms predominantly choose (at least one) best man who can make them look good and, more importantly, get them to the church on time.

The best man’s job is, of course, to support the groom with the wedding arrangements, write a funny speech and organise guests. He is also expected to take care of the stag party and dance with the maid of honour, both of which could be huge undertakings.

That’s why best men are usually thanked with wedding gifts, such as personalised cufflinks or an engraved beer tankard.

Husbands-to-be are advised to think carefully about who they want for best man/men, as they will need to collaborate on lots of tasks – including the eagerly-anticipated speech. However, wedding planner Georgina Way told telegraph.co.uk that the best men can write a speech together, “playing the audience” and ensuring the tone is acceptable, not offensive.

Brad Pitt has flown thousands of miles to collect a custom-made wedding present for Angelina Jolie: one of the world’s most expensive watches, stv.tv reports.

Grooms searching for the prefect wedding gifts take note: the Hollywood heart throb has apparently presented his fiancée with a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater watch. The luxurious timepiece, for which there is a two-year waiting list, is said to have set Pitt back £250,000.

Crafted by hand, each gold watch takes two months to make and features a stunning mother of pearl watch face. Every individual watch is then inspected at the Patek Philippe headquarters in Geneva by a member of the Stern family, who owns the firm.

It is rumoured that the pair, who got engaged in April, will marry in a their French Chateau in the company of their six children.

Clearly Pitt enjoys lavishing exciting gifts on his loved ones, as he allegedly bought a motorbike for his son Maddox. Keen to share his love for two-wheels with Maddox, madeformums.com writes, Pitt has given his a Suzuki DRZ-125. It’ll be a while before Maddox can turn rubber, though, as he’s only 11 years old.

Nevertheless, he was said to be ecstatic over about the gift. A source said: “Brad took his in the garage and there was a bike with a bow on it. Maddox was over the moon.”

Some of the wackiest gifts presented to Britain’s teachers at end of term have been revealed by Guardian.co.uk, which complied the list based on tweets received from some of the nation’s teachers.

Ranging from vodka shots to paracetamol, the list is certainly offbeat; however some students still opted for traditional presents, like flowers or personalised gifts.

One teacher, Kate (@magic_kitten) said her tutor group presented her with a lovely bouquet of flowers and even went to the trouble of checking they wouldn’t upset her hayfever before choosing. What’s more, Missinjs (@missynjs) received a really traditional gift – a humble apple. She exclaimed: “I was chuffed!”

Not everyone was presented with such classic tokens though, as Faye (@fayekat) revealed she was given some Vitamin C tablets. Brian Sharland (@sharland) was given an iPod dock, whilst another Faye (@handtwin5) chuckled after her class gave her some apple vodka shots.

She went on to add: “After my placement I got various bits including paracetamol in case they’d ‘given me a headache’!”.

Unfortunately, Liz Oliver (@missmugwump) wasn’t so lucky. Although she was given a litre-full bottle of gin from one class, she also received cupcakes from another. Whilst these may sound nice, she didn’t realise until she bit into one that they were covered in lard icing.

“Think they were cost cutting the butter,” she concluded, cited by storify.com.

As retailers and toy companies reveal their predictions for the top ten seasonal kids’ toys, a new report shows that mothers are already anxious about the Christmas shopping, retailgazette.co.uk reports.

A ‘Mumdex’ survey carried out by ASDA revealed that 46 per cent of mums are worried about the cost of Christmas and are ‘already stockpiling’ in readiness. 93 per cent of those surveyed have bought gifts this far in advance, as a way to spread the cost.

Toys that parents are likely to find on their offsprings’ lists for Father Christmas include VTech’s Gadget The Robot and the iTikes Canvas, both priced at £39.99, madeformums.com writes.

New offerings from well known brands also made the list of predicted Christmas must-haves, including Peppa Pig, Star Wars and Sylvanian Families. Furthermore, retailers have predicted the return of 80s classic, Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Mothers that are looking for a gift that is far more special while being within budget might like to consider a personalised Christmas gift; something that no other child will have, thus making it unique. Theses could include their own tree bauble or Noel mug.

Commenting on the survey findings, ASDA’s chief operating officer, Judith McKenna, said: “What this latest Mumdex research makes clear is that mums have one eye on balancing the day today and the other firmly on the future family events – and Christmas is top of their list.”

Some of the funniest wedding-related adverts placed on Craigslist have been revealed, dailymail.co.uk reports.

The online ads site hosts requests for everything from lawn mowers to pianos, but some have taken their adverts a step further – with one lady even asking good-looking strangers to act as her bridesmaids.

Her ad read: “So, my fiancee [sic] and I are getting married in June. He has eight groomsmen lined up and I only have one bridesmaid. So, I need some girls who are attractive and around my age to stand up in my wedding.

“You can be single or taken. It doesn’t matter… you just have to be hot. But not hotter than me,” she added eloquently.

Although the ads didn’t extend to things like a personalised wedding gift – as likely people know where to find them – some people did offer themselves up as a ‘starter’ wife, asking would-be grooms to use her as in their trial wedding; probably in a bid to see if it’s the life for them. Others had decided they wanted to get married straight away but were missing one thing – a partner.

“I decided tomorrow I want to get married, so any takers? I’m attractive… have a job, car, my own place,” another advert read. Whether or not the lady in question had any answers wasn’t revealed.

One guilty-feeling best man even aired his shame at having to ditch his cousin at the last minute, huffingtonpost.com revealed. He asked for someone to take his place as best man, as he recognised that the cousin wouldn’t have time to replace him – even offering up around £130 in payment to whomever volunteered.

Sons and daughters around the UK have been urged by thesun.co.uk to organise something really special for Father’s Day on June 17th.

The website recommended taking fathers somewhere really special this year, complementing thoughtful, personalised gifts with a trip they will never forget.

It suggested perhaps taking Dad to see the inside of the Thrihnukagigur volcano in Iceland, or perhaps opting for a short break in the city of fun – Las Vegas. Doting daughters may alternatively wish to take their hero on an exciting train-spotting trip, or loving sons might tempt their fathers with a golfing holiday at one of Britain’s top courses.

Fathers who are big on food might enjoy something more tailored to the senses, the website continued. Heading to a wonderful restaurant or perhaps on a wine tasting trip could be ideal – as could heading to Bruges for a beer-tasting weekend. There are some 400 types of beer on offer in the area; perfect for those who enjoy a pint or two.

It’s not all about how is spent, of course, as guardian.co.uk pointed out. It recommended offspring opt for home-made or bespoke cards to accompany their gifts, or take it one step further by customising a plain t-shirt with something that’s special to Dad.

The website added: ‘Father’s Day is a brilliant opportunity to give Dads a special treat… creating and customising a gift, or making a gesture to show how much you care, is fund for kids as well as making Dad’s day.’

The pair were wed by Mumford’s father John at the event, which took place on a working farm in Somerset. The pair said their vows in the farm’s converted barn, in line with their rustic theme.

The move comes after a year-long engagement and guests at the ceremony included names like Sienna Miller. Jake Gyllenhaal was also said to be there, whilst one of the speakers came in the form of Britain’s own Colin Firth – who “had the room in fits”, according to a source cited by telegraph.co.uk.

“She [Mulligan] thought it would be funny to have the actor [Firth] address the room,” the source continued, speaking to The Sun. “Unlike his character in The King’s Speech, Colin was a pro at the speech. He was his charming self and had the room in fits.” He wasn’t the only famous face to perform though, as speculation is rife that singer Adele entertained the guests.

Reports haven’t yet confirmed if the pair are headed off on honeymoon, but judging by the A-list guests, they could well have mountains of wedding gifts to get through first.

Mulligan is thought to have worn a simple, backless ivory dress from Versace, with her eight bridesmaids donning turquoise dresses. No details were revealed regarding Mumford’s outfit, though he was seen driving himself to the venue wearing Ray Ban sunglasses.

Bentley’s entertainment, which also took care of Petra Ecclestone’s big day, organised the entire event.

In lieu of having a big celebration for her 40th, Samantha Cameron is set to host a big event for her upcoming 41st birthday.

According to dailymail.co.uk, a “big bash” has been planned for the Prime Minister’s wife. It was reported that given her daughter Florence was then only a few months old, having a party for her 40th didn’t seem right for Cameron.

That’s according to a so-called “Tory source”, who seemingly told the press: “She didn’t really have a party on her 40th because daughter Florence was only six months old.”

However she looks set to make up for that on April 18th, her 41st birthday, as a a party will be held at Chequers – an Ellesborough country house favoured by Cameron. Reports confirmed that she will have a DJ present to take care of the music and it’s likely she’ll have a whole host of birthday gifts to open.

Cameron’s birthday celebrations will be a change from last year’s, which – according to Telegraph.co.uk – consisted of the Prime Minister taking his wife to Spain for a low-key holiday; flying with a budget airline and staying in a “mid-range” hotel.

The pair were snapped relaxing in the Granada area; although their specific whereabouts was not confirmed for security reasons.